Fruit Still Life with Champagne Bottle. It inspired
by Andrew Chalk
What a brilliant idea. The DMA is piggybacking on Savor Dallas Arts District Wine Stroll this Friday by holding a four-course dinner with dishes inspired by its collection. Proceeds go to help the museum’s acquisitions. Execuchef Craig James will whip this up.
Savor the Arts Menu Amuse Corn and green onion soup with corn croquettes Inspired by Otis Dozier’sMaize and Windmill First Course Roasted cod on spring pea puree finished with a mussel, bacon, and sauterne sauce Inspired by Charles Webster Hawthorne’s The Fish and the Man Entrée Szechuan spice bang bang chicken, peanut sauce and cucumber noodles, steamed jasmine rice, and vegetable spring roll Inspired by Chinese pair of lokapalas Dessert Sugar snap basket filled with fresh fruit salad and a Champagne sabayon glaze Inspired by Severin Roesen’s Fruit Still Life with Champagne Bottle I think this is a great idea but I don’t think the museum has gone far enough. Here are some suggestions as to how they should augment their collection, using the proceeds from the first meal, to give chef James carte blanche to do some really interesting dishes.First, they should buy a David Zink Yi ceramic giant squid. This would inspire the ideal amuse bouche (or maybe amuse tentacle). With family style dining just one could feed 20 people. Sure, if it wasn’t quite dead the giant squid might decimate the donor count, but put that down to teething problems.
David Zink Yi’s Horror Vacui. Will feed 20
Second, they should buy one of those molten fire ant sculptures by an anonymous artist who sells them on eBay. Chef James could assemble a fire any salad, or maybe a refreshing cold soup, based on the critter. The only downside I can see here is that Matt McCallister has already done it.
Anonymous artist makes molten sculpture from fire ant nest
Third, art should never write off the humble cockroach. It may even outlive Keith Richards. Artist Catherine Chalmers has made a whole exhibition of them called American Cockroach. Chef James could use them to inspire him to make, say “Cockroach Mac ‘n Cheese” or “Chicken Fried Cockroach”. He could even get the docents to do a line dance while it was served (kind of like being at Babe’s). Imagine the popularity of these dinners. The DMA endowment would make the Getty’s look like pocket change.
Item from Catherine Chalmers’ American Cockroach Exhibit
While we wait for the DMA to put these selfless suggestions into action you can get tickets for Friday’s meal $65 public; $55 DMA Partner (per person). Reservations required; to make a reservation call 214-922-1858 or emailatriumcafe@dma.org.
